The Closed-Canon Model sees religious doctrine as fixed, based on a closed canon of scripture, and any developments are through interpretation rather than new revelations. For example, the Roman Catholic Church considers the Bible and teachings of the early Church Fathers as complete, and that public revelation ended with the death of the last apostle.
The Revelation Model allows new beliefs to be introduced through revelations received by living prophets and apostles. Doctrine can evolve over time, and new scriptures can be added to the canon. For instance, the process by which the Mormon Church accepts new beliefs involves revelation to the modern day prophets and apostles, council decision as to whether to present the revelation, communication of the revelation to the Church, member acceptance through sustaining votes, and subsequent implementation.